When I Grow Up

S will soon be a year old.  It's all flown by so quickly - that whole pregnancy-newborn-infant cycle.  Maybe not all the time, but for the most part, I really loved being pregnant.  I loved that feeling, when the baby would move or kick, that secret just between you and your baby.  It's exhausting, but I love the connection I had with my boys while nursing.  And there is hardly anything better than the feeling of a baby resting his head on your shoulder. 

As much as I will miss all of that, I am really starting to look forward to the next stage in my life.  That said, I don't know what I want to do during that next stage.  I changed careers to become an elementary school teacher, but graduated shortly before J was born and therefore have no time in the classroom.

So, what do I want to be when I grow up?

(web) Surfing to Nirvana

I have this tendency, whenever I go online, to forget about all the cool sites I wanted to check out or things I wanted to research only to end up aimlessly surfing the Internet.  I usually begin at Facebook, then check out televisionwithoutpity.com, and maybe BabyCenter or Homestar Runner.  Maybe every now and then I remember what I really wanted to do online, but usually I don't.  And so several more hours of my life are thrown into the abyss.

Brochures I'd Like to See

You've seen them at every doctor's office you've been to: those brochures that educate you on topics ranging from asthma to gingivitis to urinary tract infections. Well, here are some brochures geared towards men that every women's advocating OBGYN office should offer (and maybe some GPs, too):

• Hormones: Your Wife Isn't Psycho and No, She Can't Control Them
• PMS: It's Real, Get Over It
• Pregnancy: Yes, Your Boys Can Swim, Now Get Over Yourself and Fold Some Laundry
• Congratulations, You're a Dad Now! So Wake Up and Feed the Baby So Your Wife Can Sleep for a Few Hours
• Postpartum Depression: Like PMS, It's Real, So Don't Even Think of Telling Her to Just Get Over It

Wow, I'm really cranky today!

Anticipation Addict

I realized a couple of weeks ago that I am an anticipation addict. I have been one for my entire life.

I can give you loads of examples when I found that looking forward to an event was more enjoyable than the event itself - Christmas, rock concerts, vacations, college, dates, you name it. It saddens me when I think about how much time I spent looking forward to something that hadn't yet happened rather than enjoying the moment.

How do you break an almost forty-year-old habit? How do you teach a five-year-old not to start it?